FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary system architecture for integrating voice, data, and video services, according to the prior art. Details of the individual block components making up the system architecture are known to skilled artisans, and will only be described in details sufficient for an understanding of the invention. The system block diagram 30 is composed of several functional blocks. A system domain 1 is composed of Central Office (CO) Equipment domain 100 and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) domain 20. The component blocks within the system domain and their respective interfaces are: a customer premise equipment (CPE) unit 2, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) 9, an ATM switch 10, an IP router 13, a ATM terminator 12, and a network control system (NCS) 11.
The customer premise equipment (CPE) unit 2 includes a DSL modem unit (also referred to by reference numeral 2) that interfaces with the DSLAM over a plain old telephone service (POTS), four separate analog SLIC interfaces to connect to analog telephones 3–6, 10Base-T Ethernet connection to a PC desktop system 7, and an Ethernet or RS-422 connection to a set-top box with a decoder 8 for connection to a television or video display 8′. The CPE unit 2 allows for the aggregation of telephone, computer, digital A/V stream, and command ATM data onto an ADSL line between the CPE unit 2 and the network system equipment. From the customer's point of view, the DSLAM 9 demodulates data from multiple DSL modems and concentrates the data onto the ATM backbone network for connection to the rest of the network. The DSLAM 9 provides back-haul services by providing concentration of the DSL lines onto ATM outputs to the ATM switch 10.
The ATM switch 10 is the backbone of the ATM network. The ATM switch 10 performs various functions in the network, including cell transport, multiplexing and concentration, traffic control and ATM-layer management. Of particular interest in the system domain 100, the ATM switch provides for the cell routing and buffering in connection to the DSLAM, the network control system 11 and the Internet gateway (Internet Protocol IP router 13 and ATM terminator 12), and T1 circuit emulation support in connection with the multiple telephony links switch 15. A T1 circuit provides 24 voice channels packed into a 193 bit frame transmitted at 8000 frames per second. The total bit rate is 1.544 Mbps. The unframed version, or payload, consists of 192 bit frames for a total rate of 1.536 Mbps.
The ATM switch 10 is shown coupled to a program guide server/video server 16 to satellite 17, radio broadcast 18 or cable 19 networks. The ATM switch is also coupled over the ATM terminator 12 and IP router 13 pair to receive Internet Protocol IP packet data from the Internet 14.
The network control system 100 provides for address translation, demand assignment and call management functions. The network control system's principal function is to manage the DSL/ATM network including the origination and termination of phone calls. The NCS is essential to the control entity communication and translating control information between the class 5 PSTN switch (using the GR-303 protocol) and the CPE unit 2. The network control system 100 is available for other functions, such as downloadable code to the CPE and bandwidth and call management (e.g., busy) functions as well as other service provisioning and set up tasks. The NCS also sets up the connections within the CO equipment to route video from the video server to the various CPE units connected to the DSLAM.
However, there is still a need for a method by which a CPE can securely communicate with the ATM/DSL head-end network control system (NCS) 11. Such a method would allow a customer to access and control certain options and to configure their services.